When I completed Elaine Aron’s Highly Sensitive Person Self-Test, I checked 24 statements. Out of 27.
I checked everything from being bothered by bright lights and loud noises to getting startled easily to trying to avoid mistakes to not watching violent movies or TV shows.
Maybe you can relate.
While there are many differences among highly sensitive people (HSPs), we have one thing in common: HSPs have a sensitive nervous system that makes it harder to filter out stimuli and easier to get overwhelmed by our environment.
For instance, the sound of sirens and other loud noises might reverberate like nails on a chalkboard through your head. (They do in mine.) Crowds might make you especially uncomfortable, while strong smells make you feel sick.
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As a counter, however, bare in mind that avoiding difficulties in life makes it that much harder to deal with them when they are unavoidable.
I googled ” how to be less sensitive and more passive ” and this is what I found . I’m a mother of 3 plus a stepmother to 2 more. A blended family has not been easy. I’ve done all the research. FINALLY something is making sense to how I react to daily stimuli. I’m overwhelmed most days but as a wife and a mother I CAN’T take time for myself to relieve ” chaos ” I’m strong willed. Strong minded. Stubborn. Full throttle 24/7 I Sleep 4 to 5 hours a night. Without consistent chores and push myself beyond exhaustion I feel inadequate but angry and frustrated because at the same time I’m exhausted. My family and the hatefulness in this world literally tears me to pieces. Daily. I have been determined to have an IQ of 139 but most days I can barely remember yesterday. I am capable to certainly rationalize reality. Which in my opinion majority of population is chaotic hateful and disobedient, which truely outrages me . Quiet is the only time I feel somewhat peaceful. I have notice more that I’m not as social as I was I’ve never been shy. I’m usually quiet otherwise I may blow. I think I have most signs of this disorder but not sure.
Ell, do the checklist at http://www.hsperson.com/pages/test.htm . It sounds like you are highly sensitive to me. My suggestion is to take a break Every Single Day! Set aside time for yourself, even if you have to ask someone else to watch your children. Take your “Me Time” and find a quite place to relax or go get a massage or find something else to relieve some of your stress!
I live in a homeless shelter while looking for work, and I’ve never encountered a more noisy, consistently rude and uncaring bunch. Being sensitive makes it that much harder for me, because I’m allergic to their colognes, sensitive to their loud talking and they simply don’t understand that the problem isn’t me, it’s them. Thanks for n enlightening article.
I have had SOME luck with hearing protection earmuffs BUT alas, these all assume you want to hear human vocal frequencies through “construction noise” when it is the human noise that bothers me most…loud obnoxious people, crowds and blaring music. I can’t find hearing protection that works effectively against THESE and eliminating the other frequencies sometimes makes the human disturbances even worse. Earmuffs that play radio help to mask but most of my work environments have poor reception. What indeed are earmuffs tuned to human vocal frequencies I’d love to learn if such an animal exists.
When approaching a coworker (spouse, friend, etc.) about their noise level, it might be wise to ask what suggestions they have for managing the level of noise in your environment rather than asking them to speak softer, etc. Generally, a plan people make together is more successful and less likely to cause a riff. The idea is to open a conversation to mutually improve the environs for all.
I know I am late to the party, but I am so happy that I found this site.
I have know from a young age that I was different.
When I was in my 20′s I read a letter to Dear Abby, the person was explaining the type of person she was, and what she could do help herself. Abby wrote back that she needed to quit acting like a child, grow up be more mature and to quit complaining. I now know that the woman was HSP. That’s when I realized that there was something really wrong with me, no matter how hard I tried to follow the advice I couldn’t. I just didn’t know what was wrong with me or how to fix it.
I am going to be 62 and have been depressed most of my life, and on medication so that I am able to cope, and it has helped tremendously but I am tired of taking medicine. In my 30′s I researched to see if there were others like myself and found out that I am HSP. I couldn’t even watch my son play hockey in college, I would leave the rink if the game was close, I would pace outside of the rink. I couldn’t breath, and I’d shake. I have seen therapists and have told them about the HSP but all they want to do is talk about my past and what brought me to this point. No one is willing to listen and to try and help me. I can’t watch dramas or violent film and I cry easily even on commercials. So even though I am 61 years old I have not gotten any better in fact if anything I worse than I ever was.
Thanks for listening, Maria